44 Chapter 44

◎Become a useless person◎

Whether it was heaven's true sensing of her deep sorrow and resentment or not, a torrential downpour began in an instant.

In less than half an hour, Pei Xueyan had already gone through countless tribulations.

She killed him.

No, it's revenge!

He had longed for the thrill of revenge many times, but when the two knives pierced his body, the pain in his heart not only did not subside, but surged even more fiercely.

Rainwater mixed with a liquid that she couldn't tell was tears or blood, flowing down her body. She walked in a daze for an unknown amount of time, then her legs gave way, her body suddenly swayed, and she tumbled down the hillside, falling straight into the river below.

She couldn't swim and struggled desperately.

The mental techniques just wouldn't activate in my mind.

They could clearly travel between rivers and mountains, but they just couldn't use it.

The rain was torrential, and the river was becoming increasingly turbulent. Her body drifted slowly downstream with the current, and her consciousness gradually faded.

In her hazy state, she seemed to hear someone urgently calling her name, and a pair of strong hands pressing on her chest.

Pei Xueyan suddenly spat out a mouthful of river water and struggled to open her eyes.

This was heard by Zhou.

She weakly opened her mouth: "Senior sister... Senior sister..."

When she woke up again, Pei Xueyan had already been carried back to Yishui Manor.

Grandma Jiang was holding a willow branch, dipping it in water, and gently sprinkling it on her face—a custom in the mountain village to ward off evil spirits.

"Grandma, I am not possessed by any evil spirits, nor have I encountered any ghosts."

The old woman smiled kindly: "Little Ayan, you're possessed by an evil spirit without even realizing it."

She wanted to say something more, but a sudden, sharp pain shot through her chest, her vision went black, and she fainted again.

After three days of this back and forth, Pei Xueyan's injuries finally stabilized completely.

Seeing that she could speak and eat freely, Zhou Wen couldn't help but ask, "I see spiritual energy fluctuations on you. What's going on? Didn't you lose your cultivation?"

Pei Xueyan sighed, "Don't even mention it, I'm so stressed. I'm so unlucky, I ran into a jinx as soon as I came down the mountain."

Seeing that she still had the energy to joke, Zhou Wenjian knew that she was out of danger.

"You looked like you were about to die, I thought you were going to become depressed and withdrawn."

"..." Pei Xueyan said calmly while eating, "Senior sister, I am very upset, but I think that once I have cultivation, I am not so upset."

Zhou Wenjian was most curious about this matter and pressed for an answer.

Helpless, Pei Xueyan had no choice but to briefly explain the whole story.

As for the scenes of the couple whispering in the dream and being forcibly kissed, they were naturally omitted.

Zhou Wenjian listened silently, and after a long pause, he finally spoke: "So, you're married now? You know your master—yes, you know her."

“It’s fake,” Pei Xueyan retorted without hesitation.

"So what if it's fake? Once the marriage proposal exists, all the major sects of the immortal realm will know about it very quickly."

Pei Xueyan said nonchalantly, "We've already broken up; it's like we've automatically divorced."

Zhou Wenjian analyzed seriously: "How is Jiang Qiye now? There are many disciples in the Qing Sect, and he is well-known. There are many people coming and going in Yuanhua Mountain, so he should be fine. But Wang Yu has always harbored resentment towards our master. If he finds out that his disciple has been tricked out of his martial arts, he will definitely come to settle accounts with you. How will you deal with that? What Jiang Qiye did to you was indeed wrong, but he was acting on his master's orders, so he can't be considered to bear full responsibility. If our master asks me to do something, I will definitely do it."

"...Senior sister! Why are you speaking up for him?"

“I’m not speaking for him, I’m just stating the facts.”

Pei Xueyan put down her chopsticks, her chest clenching again. "Good senior sister, you've been deceived! He forcibly crippled my cultivation, forced me to drink the potion of forgetfulness before I could even agree, and tricked me into marriage. Wasn't the illusionary realm invented by his benevolent ancestor to alleviate the suffering of evil cultivators? I don't believe anyone would use an illusionary realm to seize women like this. It's truly despicable!"

Seeing her puffed-up face, Zhou Wen softened his tone: "Of course I know he's a wicked playboy, but you need to think more about this to truly feel at ease. That's how you can resolve your own feelings. Also, you should think about how to explain this to your master."

"My cultivation has returned. Once I fully master it, I will be able to lead everyone in our village to heaven!"

"Watch your words!" Zhou Wenjian sighed helplessly. "I'm not talking about cultivation level. Master hates men. If you marry a man from the Qing Sect, she'll be furious. I advise you to think of your words soon, or I won't be able to cover for you."

"Then I have no choice but to run away!" Pei Xueyan's face fell, and she said bitterly, "Master has always been very strict with me, and she even gave me the position of the head of the manor. She knows I can't do it well, and I'm afraid she will be even more disappointed. I'm really afraid of pain, senior sister. You must plead for me then."

Zhou Wenjian was amused by her spineless appearance and tapped her forehead with his fingertip: "All you do is run away! Your master gave you the position of manor lord because he values ​​your comprehension and character, not because you should run away at the first sign of trouble."

Pei Xueyan sighed, "My master doesn't like any of the people from the Qing Sect. I even married one of their disciples. But Jiang Qiye and I are completely estranged, right? I've already stabbed him twice. It can't really be considered a real marriage, can it?"

"The people of the Qing Sect are always cunning, and Jiang Qiye may have some tricks up her sleeve. But don't panic too much. Although your master is strict, she is not unreasonable. If you explain the cause and effect clearly and emphasize that you were deceived and coerced, she may not punish you severely."

Zhou Wenjian continued his analysis: "Master hates the Qing Sect because they are hypocritical and domineering, not because he encourages you to kill people indiscriminately. Besides, Jiang Qiye did those things to you, so killing him is a legitimate revenge. At most, Master will blame you for acting impulsively, but he won't really make things difficult for you."

She's right, we must find a good way to treat our master.

However, Pei Xueyan's thoughts were superfluous, as Ye Xiuluo showed no signs of returning.

Pei Xueyan rested peacefully at Yishui Villa for a few days before beginning to diligently practice her inner cultivation technique.

But for some reason, she was always absent-minded.

Every time she tried to concentrate, her chest would ache, making it difficult for her to focus.

After a month, his cultivation level hadn't improved much.

At first, she could meditate for seven or eight hours, but now she can't even last three or four hours.

I started going to bed early and waking up early, and sleeping in late.

Only when she got up at night and saw her senior sister Zhou still studying diligently in the courtyard late at night would a faint motivation ignite in her heart, but it would be suppressed by lazy thoughts.

After staying in the manor for more than a month, Pei Xueyan was itching to go down the mountain again.

With her master away, and her status as the head of the estate, she should be free to go out without anyone interfering.

However, Pei Xueyan felt guilty.

The affairs of the manor were all managed by my senior sister; I was far from being a qualified manor lord.

When her master returns, she will definitely resign. She has lost all the cultivation her master passed on to her, so how can she still have the face to be the head of the manor?

Having made up her mind, Pei Xueyan picked up her sword and descended the mountain.

The sun was particularly scorching today. She had just squatted down by the river to scoop up some water to cool off when she heard several immortals chatting and gossiping not far away.

"If you ask me, Jiang Qiye deserves it. He was blinded by the female demon."

"That's right! I heard he's dying now. This is going to be a good show. Master Wangyu already harbored resentment towards Ye Xiuluo, and now his hatred has only intensified. I'm afraid he'll have to avenge his disciple."

"Although Master Wangyu is a bit eccentric, he probably wouldn't stoop to the level of a little devil. I think he's probably hunting down Ye Xiuluo with an inescapable net. It's a pity for Jiang Qiye, who was the most outstanding disciple of this generation. Even if he doesn't die now, he'll be a cripple."

Pei Xueyan was stunned on the spot.

For the past month or so, my heart and mind have been completely focused on my master, and I have completely forgotten about that other person.

Although I sometimes think of him and wonder how he is doing, I never truly believe that he is really dead.

He was the most outstanding disciple of the Qing Sect, but he was reduced to a cripple overnight, and was even stabbed by the person he loved. You can imagine the emotional blow he suffered.

The difference between falling from the clouds to the mire is something that others probably can't even comprehend a tenth of.

However, Pei Xueyan did not regret it.

He suffered only one major blow, but she endured torment for three lifetimes—no, it should be four.

She wrung out a handkerchief to wash her face, then strode up to the group, her tone laced with a hint of joking: "Aren't you immortals afraid of being caught red-handed and having your tongues cut out while you're gossiping here?"

Those immortals didn't care at all, and even showed a bit of arrogant self-righteousness.

What everyone loves most is seeing someone who is high and mighty descend to earth.

They can laugh without restraint.

“Young lady, this matter has already spread throughout the entire immortal sect, it’s not like we’re spreading rumors. Jiang Qiye was originally the successor to the sect leader appointed by Immortal Venerable Wang Yu, but now, given the current situation, the future of the Qing Sect is probably uncertain.”

Another person chimed in, his tone full of certainty: "He definitely has no chance of becoming the sect leader. The Immortal Sect Assembly is coming up in a few days. Without Jiang Qiye, how can the other disciples of the Qing Sect be 100% confident of winning? Unless Elder Xuanjing and Immortal Venerable Wangyu personally come out of seclusion, even the Great Luo Immortals in the heavens have no chance of cultivating to a high level in a short period of time."

The third immortal standing nearby became interested and chimed in with gossip, saying, "I saw Jiang Qiye once at the Immortal Sect Assembly three years ago. He was only in his early twenties then, but his cultivation was already unfathomable. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be blinded by beauty. I never imagined that he would fall into such a state in just a few years."

"Haha, you don't understand!" The immortal stroked his beard and laughed, his tone flippant. "Many people who look respectable are actually lewd and depraved at heart, and once they get involved, they become even more insane than others."

After saying that, the four of them turned to look at Pei Xueyan, their eyes lingering on her pretty face, their hands stroking her beard, their clueless expressions so familiar.

"Young lady, you also enjoy hearing such lewd stories? I have heard that the female demon fought with Jiang Qiye for several nights, acting wantonly and behaving in a very lewd manner. Jiang Qiye was probably so infatuated with her that he transferred all his cultivation to the demoness during their encounter! Such absurd behavior is exactly the same as Ye Xiuluo back then."

"..." Pei Xueyan's smile vanished instantly. With a flick of her sleeve, several streams of spiritual energy shot out, pinning the four people to the spot.

She walked step by step in front of the group, raised her hand and slapped them across the face, the crisp sound of slaps ringing out one after another.

After she finished beating them, she looked the four men up and down, then took out a dagger from her waist and cut off all their long beards, which they were so proud of.

Immediately afterwards, he reached out and ripped off the jade hairpins that bound their hair, and their long hair instantly fell down.